Adelphi; or, The Brothers

Perseus Latin · Perseus Latin · 789 sections

3.3.418b
That’s the thing.
3.3.418c
That is considered blamable—
3.3.419
Extremely good.
3.3.419b
And then, moreover—
3.3.419c
Upon my honor, I have not the leisure
3.3.420
to listen to you just at present: I have got some fish just to my taste, and must take care they are not spoiled; for that would be as much a crime in me, as for you, Demea, not to observe those maxims which you have just been mentioning; and so far as I can, I lay down precepts for my fellow-servants on the very same plan;
3.3.425
this is too salt, that is quite burned up, this is not washed enough, that is very well done; remember and do so another time. I carefully instruct them so far as I can to the best of my capacity. In short, Demea, I bid them look into their sauce-pans as though into a mirror, and suggest to them what they ought to do.
3.3.430
I am sensible these things are trifling which we do; but what is one to do? According as the man is, so must you humor him. Do you wish any thing else?
3.3.432b
That more wisdom may be granted you.
3.3.433
You will be going off into the country, I suppose?
3.3.433b
Directly.
3.3.433c
For what should you do here, where, if you do give any good precepts, no one will regard them?
3.3.435
I certainly will be off, as he on whose account I came hither has gone into the country. I have a care for him: that alone is my own concern, since my brother will have it so; let him look to the other himself. But who is it I see yonder at a distance? Isn’t it Hegio of our tribes? If I see right, i’ faith, it is he. Ah,
3.3.440
a man I have been friendly with from a child! Good Gods! we certainly have a great dearth of citizens of that stamp nowadays, with the old-fashioned virtue and honesty. Not in a hurry will any misfortune accrue to the public from him.
3.3.444
How glad I am to find some remnants of this race even still remaining; now I feel some pleasure in living. I’ll wait here for him, to ask him how he is, and have some conversation with him.
3.4.447
Oh immortal Gods! a disgraceful action, Geta! What is it you tell me?
3.4.448b
Such is the fact.
3.4.448c
That so ignoble a deed should come from that family! Oh Aeschinus,
3.4.450
assuredly you haven’t taken after your father in that!
3.4.450b
Why surely, he has heard this about the Music-girl; that gives him concern, though a stranger; this father of his thinks nothing of it. Ah me! I wish he were somewhere close at hand to overhear this.
3.4.454
Unless they do as they ought to do, they shall not come off so easily.
3.4.455
All our hopes, Hegio, are centred in you; you we have for our only friend; you are our protector, our father. The old man, Simulus, when dying, recommended us to you; if you forsake us, we are undone.
3.4.458b
Beware how you mention that; I neither will do it, nor do I think that, with due regard to the ties of relationship, I could.
3.4.460
I’ll accost him. (Approaches HEGIO.) Hegio, I bid you welcome right heartily;
3.4.461b
Oh! you are the very man I was looking for. Greetings to you, Demea.
3.4.462
Why, what’s the matter?
3.4.462b
Your eldest son Aeschinus, whom you gave to your brother to adopt, has been acting the part of neither an honest man nor a gentleman.
3.4.465
What has he been doing?
3.4.465b
You knew my friend and year’s-mate, Simulus?
3.4.466b
Why not?
3.4.466c
He has debauched his daughter, a virgin.
3.4.467b
Hah!
3.4.467c
Stay, Demea. You have not yet heard the worst.
3.4.468b
Is there any thing still worse?
3.4.469
Worse, by far: for this indeed might in some measure have been borne with.
3.4.470
The hour of night prompted him; passion, wine, young blood; ’tis human nature. When he was sensible of what he had done, he came voluntarily to the girl’s mother, weeping, praying, entreating, pledging his honor, vowing that he would take her home. The affair was pardoned, hushed up, his word taken. The girl from that
3.4.475
intercourse became pregnant: this is the tenth month. He, worthy fellow, has provided himself, if it please the Gods, with a Music-girl to live with; the other he has cast off.
3.4.478
Do you say this for certain?
3.4.478b
The mother of the young woman is among us, the young woman too; the fact speaks for itself; this Geta,
3.4.480
besides, according to the common run of servants, not a bad one or of idle habits; he supports them; alone, maintains the whole family; take him, bind him, examine him upon the matter.
3.4.483
Aye, faith, put me to the torture, Demea, if such is not the fact: besides, he will not deny it. Confront me with him.
3.4.485
I am ashamed; and what to do, or how to answer him, I don’t know.
3.4.486b
Ah me! I am racked with pains! Juno Lucina, bring aid, save me, I beseech thee.
3.4.487b
Hold; is she in labor, pray?
3.4.488b
No doubt of it, Hegio.
3.4.488c
Ah! she is now imploring your protection, Demea;
3.4.490
let her obtain from you spontaneously what the power of the law compels you to give. I do entreat the Gods that what befits you may at once be clone. But if your sentiments are otherwise, Demea, I will defend both them and him who is dead to the utmost of my power.
3.4.494
He was my kinsman: we were brought up together from children, we were companions in the wars and at home, together we experienced the hardships of poverty. I will therefore exert myself, strive, use all methods, in fine lay down my life, rather than forsake these women. What answer do you give me?
3.4.499b
I’ll go find my brother, Hegio:
3.4.500a
the advice he gives me upon this matter I’ll follow.
3.4.500
But, Demea, take you care and reflect upon this: the more easy you are in your circumstances, the more powerful, wealthy, affluent, and noble you are, so much the more ought you with equanimity to observe the dictates of justice, if you would have yourselves esteemed as men of probity.
3.4.505
Go back now; every thing shall be done that is proper to be done.
3.4.506
It becomes you to act thus. Geta, show me in to Sostrata.
3.4.507
Not without warning on my part have these things happened: I only wish it may end here; but this immoderate indulgence will undoubtedly lead to some great misfortune.
3.4.510
I’ll go find my brother, and vent these feelings upon him.
3.5.511
Be of good heart, Sostrata, and take care and console her as far as you can. I’ll go find Micio, if he is at the Forum, and acquaint him with the whole circumstances in their order; if so it is that he will do his duty by you,
3.5.515
let him do so; but if his sentiments are otherwise about this matter, let him give me his answer, that I may know at once what I am to do.
4.1.517
My father gone into the country, say you?
4.1.517b
Some time since.
4.1.517c
Do tell me, I beseech you.
4.1.517d
He is at the farm at this very moment, I warrant—hard at some work or other.
4.1.518b
I really wish, provided it be done with no prejudice to his health, I wish that he may so effectually tire himself,
4.1.520
that, for the next three days together, he may be unable to arise from his bed.
4.1.521
So be it, and any thing still better than that, if possible.
4.1.521b
Just so; for I do most confoundedly wish to pass this whole day in merry-making as I have begun it; and for no reason do I detest that farm so heartily as for its being so near town. If it were at a greater distance,
4.1.525
night would overtake him there before he could return hither again. Now, when he doesn’t find me there, he’ll come running back here, I’m quite sure; he’ll be asking me where I have been, that I have not seen him all this day: what am I to say?
4.1.528b
Does nothing suggest itself to your mind?
4.1.528c
Nothing whatever.
4.1.528d
So much the worse—have you no client, friend, or guest?
4.1.529b
I have; what then?
4.1.530
You have been engaged with them.
4.1.530b
When I have not been engaged? That can never do.
4.1.530c
It may.
4.1.531
During the daytime; but if I pass the night here, what excuse can I make, Syrus?
4.1.532
Dear me, how much I do wish it was the custom for one to be engaged with friends at night as well! But you be easy; I know his humor perfectly well. When he raves the most violently, I can make him as gentle as a lamb.
4.1.534b
In what way?
4.1.535
He loves to hear you praised: I make a god of you to him, and recount your virtues.
4.1.536b
What, mine?
4.1.536c
Yours; immediately the tears fall from him as from a child, for very joy. (Starting.) Hah take care—
4.1.537b
Why, what’s the matter?
4.1.537c
The wolf in the fable—
4.1.538
What! my father?
4.1.538b
His own self.
4.1.538c
What shall we do, Syrus?
4.1.538d
You only be off in-doors, I’ll see to that.
4.1.539
If he makes any inquiries, you have seen me no-where; do you hear?
4.1.539b
Can you not be quiet?
4.2.540
I certainly am an unfortunate man. In the first place, I can find my brother nowhere; and then, in the next place, while looking for him, I met a day-laborer from the farm; he says that my son is not in the country, and what to do I know not—
4.2.543
Syrus!
4.2.543b
What’s the matter?
4.2.543c
Is he looking for me?
4.2.543d
Yes.
4.2.543e
Undone!
4.2.543f
Nay, do be of good heart.
4.2.544
Plague on it! what ill luck is this? I can not really account for it,
4.2.545
unless I suppose myself only born for the purpose of enduring misery. I am the first to feel our misfortunes; the first to know of them all; then the first to carry the news; I am the only one, if any thing does go wrong, to take it to heart.
4.2.548
I’m amused at him; he says that he is the first to know of every thing, while he is the only one ignorant of every thing.
4.2.549
I’ve now come back; and I’ll go see whether perchance my brother has yet returned.
4.2.549b
Syrus,
4.2.550
pray do take care that he doesn’t suddenly rush in upon us here.

Perseus Latin. CTS URN phi0134.phi006.perseus-eng2. Via the Perseus Digital Library / Open Greek and Latin TEI corpora. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.